Skydiving

Skydiving is an adrenaline-pumping, daredevil feat that not only adventurous types should try out. The feeling individuals get when they’re thousands of feet high up in the air is incomparable. In addition, there’s no better place to try this adventure out than in New Zealand.

Why is NZ the Skydiving Capital of the World

First and foremost, New Zealand has one of the most splendid landscapes in the whole planet. It is even at its most spectacular viewed from above. Do your daredevil exploits in Queenstown or over at Lake Wanaka and you will bear witness to the wide expanse of the Central Otago region on the South Island and snowy, powdery mountains encompassing glassy lakes.

Located at the center of the North Island is Lake Taupo, which has the biggest commercial drop-zone in the globe plus it also offers magnificent views of the lake, wilderness and its slew of volcanoes. The two biggest skydive operators are Skydive Taupo and Taupo Tandem Skydiving. Moreover, a skydiving expedition to Bay of Plenty will transport you above sparkling waters and blistering geothermal marvels.

Other popular locations are nearby Nelson in the Abel Tasman area, and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers on the South Island and nearby Wellington and close to Auckland on the North Island. At the Franz Josef Glacier you can opt for the highest skydive in New Zealand of an incredible 19,000 feet at Skydive Franz. At this skydive you can see Mount Cook and the glaciers during your flight and jump and a long stretch of the west coast of the South Island.

NZ has plenty of skydiving adventure services all over and they also present tandem jumps. You will be taken care of by expert skydivers who will take you one step at a time to ensure that you will have an unforgettable jump.

See here an overview of the locations (plus links to) the skydive operators in New Zealand:

A lot of people have had positive experiences with their dives that several were inspired to join the trade. There are quick courses in the country where you can acquire a license and gain careers. The courses usually take around 32 weeks and provides 200 jumps plus all the knowledge needed in order to make students eligible for this budding industry

Important Things to Consider Before Jumping

NZ is known all over for its exciting dive feats that a visit to the country is incomplete without partaking in such fearless fun. The country is also known for its experienced skydive operators who comply to the profession’s highest standards, use top-rate equipment and are knowledgeable enough to provide utmost skydiving experience to their patrons.

Since New Zealand is the place to go for such adventurous deeds, expect the place to be teeming with plenty of options and services. It can be a tad difficult choosing where to go and when to do it. Listed below are several top concerns one needs to mull over before making a decision.

Rates

Prices for the jump can vary particularly in terms of locations. The South Island for example, is more of a tourist destination as compared with the North, so the services there can cost higher.

In addition, places like Lake Taupo is more competition so these companies frequently provide discounts and specials to pull prospective customers away from competing operators.

If you are looking for more affordable jumps, keep in mind that low-priced jumps are usually presented in the areas in Taupo and Central Otago. You can also check out and compare prices online.

Setting

It’s a no-brainer that NZ has beautiful drop-zones. You will see volcanic peaks from the south and land somewhere on the coasts in the far north. Queenstown is a hub of crystalline lakes and intimidating peaks while Canterbury boasts of the Pacific and Mt. Cook.

All of these places mentioned can take one’s breath away—but the scene of your jump will depend on what you are fascinated with. If you want to look over cityscapes, you can go for a jump over at Auckland and if you want something a bit more rustic and green, you can either go for Nelson, Abel Tasman, or Queenstown and Wanaka.

Weather

A great big jump experience will rely on the weather. The appearance of a mass of clouds can postpone a jump. New Zealand has pretty erratic weather especially in the Fiordland region and the West Coast.

The next best thing to do is to check out weather forecasts regularly. You can book a jump whenever the sky is clear in the winter or summer. Summers offer such beautiful scenery because of the greens, yellows and varying shades of blue you will witness on land and sea.

Winter offers wonderful snowcapped mountains to soar over and it provides as an excellent frame for freefall photo opportunities. In Queenstown, the snow arrives in great big clumps at the end of May every year. Snow storms that occur during that month only last for one or two days and the days following these weather conditions are usually perfect jump weather.

Height

Clients are given a number of height choices for their dive. The chief difference between those height options is the total amount of time you are going to spend in freefall. For example if you have chosen the 9,000-foot jump, you will undergo 30 seconds in freefall prior to reaching 5,000 feet and your parachute is set out.

12,000 feet will give you roughly 45 seconds in freefall while 15,000 can stretch to a full minute. The highest skydive at the Franz Josef glacier is 19,000 feet! Keep in mind that the higher the height, the bigger you will have to shell out.

Additions

Plenty of activities in the country are often filled with extras, and skydiving is no exception. Photos and videos are offered by jump operators so you can bring those awesome memories to your home country.

However, they can be pricey; if you wish for a video of your jump, you will have to compensate with the full-price of a jump since they will request another diver to track you down with a video camera.

There is another important rule that at most skydive companies you can’t be heavier than 100 kgs. This has to do with how heavier the plane is, the longer (and more fuel to be needed) to reach the required height. At Skydive Franz they accept people up to 125 kgs at a surcharge.

If you have tried all activities from bungee jumps to jet boating and haven’t done dives just yet, then do it now, because sky jumps are a very Kiwi thing to do. Tandem dives are a great method to live through the excitement of this feat.

The sense of freedom as you drop in the air at ridiculous speeds is often unparalleled. Once that parachute is set off and you finally take in the majestic views of the region, you will thank yourself for giving in to that jump.